wife."

"How do you manage that?" he asked.

"Don't jest," she begged. "It hurts me so. What I mean is surely plain
enough. I will continue to live under your roof if you wish it, or I
am perfectly willing to go back to Wood Norton. I will continue to bear
your name because I must, but the other ties between us are finished."

"You don't mean this, Philippa," he said gravely.

"But I do mean it," she insisted. "I mean every word I have spoken. So
far as I am concerned, Henry, this is your last chance."

There was a knock at the door. Mills entered with a note upon a salver.
Sir Henry took it up, glanced questioningly at his wife, and tore open
the envelope.

"There will be no answer, Mills," he said.

The man withdrew. Sir Henry read the few lines thoughtfully:--

Police-station, Dreymarsh
SIR,

According to enquiries made I find that Mr. Hamar Lessingham
arrived at the Hotel this evening in time for dinner. His
luggage arrived by rail yesterday. It is presumed that he came
by motor-car, but there is no car in the garage, nor any mention
of one. His room was taken for him by Miss Fairclough, ringing
up for Lady Cranston about seven o'clock.

Respectfully yours,
JOHN HAYLOCK.

"Is your note of interest?" Philippa enquired.

"In a sense, yes," he replied, thrusting it into his waistcoat pocket.
"I presume we can consider our late subject of conversation finished
with?"

"I have nothing more to say," she pronounced.

"Very well, then," her husband agreed, "let us select another topic.
This time, supposing I choose?"

"You are welcome."

"Let us converse, then, about Mr. Hamar Lessingham."

Philippa had taken up her work. Her fingers ceased their labours, but
she did not look up.

"About Mr. Hamar Lessingham," she repeated. "Rather a limited subject, I
am afraid."

"I am not so sure," he said thoughtfully. "For instance, who is he?"

"I have no idea," she replied. "Does it matter? He was at college with
Richard, and he has been a visitor at Wood Norton. That is all that
we know. Surely it is sufficient for us to offer him any reasonable
hospitality?"

"I am not disputing it," Sir Henry assured her. "On the face of it, it
seems perfectly reasonable that you should be civil to him. On the other
hand, there are one or two rather curious points about his com